1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a pneumatically actuated animal trap particularly adapted for capturing animals alive.
2. Background
In the art of animal traps there has been a need to develop a trap which has a triggering mechanism which is reliable and difficult for an animal to circumvent. In particular, the trapping of fur bearing mammals and certain kinds of varmints has been become difficult as many animals have become accustomed to prior art types of traps and avoid the trap triggering or release mechanism. Moreover, prior art efforts to develop mechanical triggering mechanisms which are suitably sensitive to be actuated by the animal to be trapped have been unsuccessful since the more sensitive triggering mechanisms are susceptible to environmental effects such as wind and precepitation wherein the mechanism is prematurely released and the trap rendered inoperative.
Accordingly, there has been a need to develop a trap triggering and actuating system which is reliable, is not susceptible to premature actuation and is not easily avoided by wary or "trap shy" animals. In particular, there has been a need for the development of a suitable triggering and actuating mechanism for traps which are intended to capture animals live and uninjured. In this regard consideration has been given to the adaptation of motor operated traps operating from either an electrical or pressure fluid source. The development of pressure fluid operated traps has been hampered by the failure to be able to provide a remote source of pressure fluid such as a storage vessel or accumulator and control circuitry including valve mechanisms which are substantially leakproof and do not permit unwanted leakage of pressure fluid from the storage vessel during the time that the trap is unattended. However, the problems of providing suitable release and actuating mechanisms for traps and the provision of a suitable pressure fluid actuated trap has been overcome with the present invention.